Blimp X runway incursion had less than standard separation from small aircraft Y. System error.

Attributes
ACN	314667
Time
Date	199508
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hpn
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 1
ASRS Report	314667
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 25 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Airship X was landing in the infield at hpn and small aircraft Y was landing runway 29. The airship needed to cross runway 29 mid-field to land and was only about 10 ft high crossing runway 29. Y short final could not see the airship due to the sun being in his eyes. Upon landing Y went into the shadow of the airship. At that point Y saw the airship but was too late to react, passed beside it by 25 ft. This would have never happened if the controller who was working would have been paying attention to the job. She was on the phone. The lack of staffing in the FAA is making it a dangerous place to fly. Controllers are overworked with less breaks. Then they tend to take care of other business when working on position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BLIMP X RWY INCURSION HAD LTSS FROM SMA Y. SYS ERROR.

Narrative: AIRSHIP X WAS LNDG IN THE INFIELD AT HPN AND SMA Y WAS LNDG RWY 29. THE AIRSHIP NEEDED TO CROSS RWY 29 MID-FIELD TO LAND AND WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 FT HIGH XING RWY 29. Y SHORT FINAL COULD NOT SEE THE AIRSHIP DUE TO THE SUN BEING IN HIS EYES. UPON LNDG Y WENT INTO THE SHADOW OF THE AIRSHIP. AT THAT POINT Y SAW THE AIRSHIP BUT WAS TOO LATE TO REACT, PASSED BESIDE IT BY 25 FT. THIS WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF THE CTLR WHO WAS WORKING WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTN TO THE JOB. SHE WAS ON THE PHONE. THE LACK OF STAFFING IN THE FAA IS MAKING IT A DANGEROUS PLACE TO FLY. CTLRS ARE OVERWORKED WITH LESS BREAKS. THEN THEY TEND TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER BUSINESS WHEN WORKING ON POS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.